Discography

Part 1: Prehistory (Assistant Engineer, France)

This page is an attempt to list all the sessions I did as an assistant at the very begining of my career,
and is meant to help me remember what I did way back when, before I forget all that ancient history.
This page will be of very little interest to anyone out there, so feel free to move on...

Click on the thumbnails for additional info.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Album of the Year

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers:

Album of the Year

Role:

Assistant

Format:

LP

1981

Label:

Timeless

Studio Davout. A young Wynton Marsalis snapped at me for daring to ask if it was possible to move Mr. Blakey's high-hat a bit in order to get a better position for a microphone. (I was indeed clueless.)

Keith Emerson

Night Hawk OST

Keith Emerson:

Night Hawk OST

Role:

Assistant

Format:

OST/LP

1981

Label:

Backstreet Records

Studio Davout.

Les Garcons

Les deux amants

Les Garcons:

Les deux amants

Role:

Assistant

Format:

Single

1980

Label:

ZE

Formerly known as Marie et les Garcons. By now Marie was gone and the original punk edge and distortion had been replaced by a pop/disco sound, but I was still a fan.

Roy Harper

The Unknown Soldier

Roy Harper:

The Unknown Soldier

Role:

Assistant

Format:

LP

1980

Label:

EMI Harvest

Studio Aquarium, guitar overdub sessions with Dave Gilmour, who was the producer.
Gilmour was the first star I'd ever worked with, and turned out to be both an extremely gracious gentleman and down-to-earth guy, aside from a very impressive musician.
I was in charge of punch-ins, which was something I had never done before. Aside from the pressure of working with Pink Floyd's guitar player,
I had to figure out how to punch in and out in solos with long sustainy notes, without any gaps in the sound.
We were using an MCI analog machine, so you had to anticipate when to punch out because of the distance between the erase and the record heads.
Needless to say, it was a disaster and I kept messing up. Gilmour never complained or asked for another assistant, he played over and over again
until I managed to get it right.
A few years later, I met him again at Air Studios in London while working with Duran Duran. I wanted to apologize for my klutziness then but he pretended not to remember.

Lili Drop

Sur ma mob

Lili Drop:

Sur ma mob

Role:

Assistant

Format:

Single

1979

Label:

Arabella

Studio Damiens. My very first session - I was the assistant's assistant!

Mosiah

S/T

Mosiah:

S/T

Role:

Assistant

Format:

LP

1979

Label:

Garance/RCA(France)

Bristish Reggae band with seven young kids, including four siblings (I think).

Ozzy Osbourne

Ultimate Sin

Ozzy Osbourne:

Ultimate Sin

Role:

Assistant

Format:

LP

1985

Label:

CBS

Vocal overdub sessions in the marble room in Studio Davout. There was an oxygen tank in the recording room, next to the microphone.

Taxi Girl

Mannequin

Taxi Girl:

Mannequin

Role:

Assistant

Format:

Single, 12"

1979

Label:

Sonopresse

Studio Aquarium. Their first single, when they were five. I was a big fan of the band and was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to be on the session.